The Reason Anthony Bourdain Didn't Like Vegans Or Vegetarians

Anthony Bourdain wasn't shy about his love for meat. Whether he was declaring his unconditional love for blood sausages or fan-girling over roast pork in Bali, his adoration for animal-based proteins was well known. When it came to both vegans and vegetarians, however, he also wasn't shy about his distaste for those types of rigid dietary restrictions. In a Newsweek piece by Tom Vitale, a director and producer of "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown," Vitale told readers that Bourdain was much more intense in real life than he was on camera, especially when sharing his strong opinions regarding other people's eating habits.

Vitale writes that while Bourdain's comments could often come off as harsh, they were based on truth and pushing the shows forward, as opposed to being said out of spite. In his signature, tough-but-comedic style, Bourdain wrote in his book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly" that vegetarians "are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit." According to Vitale, Bourdain's dislike of vegans and vegetarians stemmed from his belief that these restrictions meant that those individuals would not be open to trying new foods or experiences. To Bourdain, Vitale continued, a vegetarian was a person who lived a "bland existence." Bourdain had no interest in trying the Impossible Burger, and due to the openness of his diet, he never had a reason or need to explore the world of fake or substitute meat products. 

Tom Vitale also noted that Bourdain didn't seem to dislike individuals strictly based on their eating preferences. This is no shade to vegetarians or vegans, but if you think about it from Bourdain's perspective, as a man whose career revolved around food and exploration of the unfamiliar, someone with strict rules around what they will and won't eat is definitely not indulging in a lot of what life has to offer, culinarily speaking. If you're in a foreign country and a local delicacy doesn't quite align with your rigid restrictions, you might be missing out on one of the greatest bites of your life if you aren't willing to bend your own rules a little, even just while traveling.

It wasn't as if Bourdain hated vegetables or dishes that lacked animal meat; he rather placed his disdain on hard and fast dietary rules or unwillingness to get outside of your comfort zone. But for all his dislike of those with dietary restrictions, there was one place where Bourdain actually did love vegetarian food. Bourdain's travels to India showcased that a cuisine not based around animal products could still be incredibly flavorful and exciting, especially when laden with spices.